Vauxhall Chevette HS

Vauxhall Chevette HS – This Vauxhall Chevette HS is recognized as one of the most historically significant examples of its kind. It is believed to be the very first HS built at Luton in late 1977. Initially, it served as both a Vauxhall Press and Fleet Department car before the main production run in 1978, making it a landmark vehicle in the model’s development and public launch.

Provenance

Vauxhall retained this car from new until September 1980, during which time it was extensively used by PR and press teams. A letter from Vauxhall’s PR Department confirms its status, signed by an individual who drove it during that period. It appeared in early publicity material and is featured in Graham Robson’s book “Vauxhall Chevette HS and HSR”, a copy of which accompanies the car. After leaving Vauxhall, the car passed through several owners until 1987 and remained with two long-term custodians before joining a private collection in 2024.

Mileage Documentation

The car’s mileage is well documented: 27,524 miles in 1983, 32,750 miles in 1985, 49,787 miles in 1987, and 57,828 miles in 1988. It was taken off the road for 28 years and later re-emerged showing 63,154 miles.

Restoration

A full bare metal restoration was carried out using genuine Vauxhall panels where necessary, and the car was refinished in its original Silver Metallic. It retains almost all of the rare early production features seen only on the first cars, including Sundym glass, a silver front panel, black rear panel, early-style decals and badges, original VEGA wheels with flat washer receptors, and no door mirrors. A new Pilkington windscreen and correct rubber seals were fitted, and the finish presents very well with only minor blemishes noted.

Interior

The interior remains largely original with factory tartan trim, carpets, and fittings, with only minimal professional repairs to preserve authenticity. The correct black headlining, visors, and gauges are present.

Mechanical Details

The running gear was fully stripped and rebuilt, with refurbished suspension, brakes, axle, steering, and five new tyres. The gearbox was inspected and rebuilt to the correct GTE-specification with an uprated torque tube. The original 2.3-litre slant-four engine was rebuilt by respected specialists Noble Mellows Engineering, enlarged to the correct 2.4-litre homologated specification used in period rally cars, fully balanced, and dyno tested at 200bhp.

Documentation

Supplied with period invoices, numerous recent restoration documents, and a period letter from Vauxhall, this is the first ever HS Chevette – ex-Press, ex-Fleet, beautifully restored, and rich in provenance.

The Iconic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show 2025

Entries closing soon for to our last Iconic Sale of 2025. The Iconic Collectors’ Car Sale will take place on Saturday 8th November as part of the Classic Motor Show at the NEC, Birmingham (B40 1NT) 7th – 9th November. The show is one of the UK’s biggest and best motor shows attracting visitors, bidders and buyers from around the world. Interested in selling with us? Contact the team today or request a free valuation online. Iconic Car entries close on 17th October.